Homeless children and youth report that school is a home to them – a place where they see the same faces, sit in the same seat, and can put their hearts and minds into pursuits that ease their daily troubles. In school, students gain the skills and support needed to avoid poverty and homelessness as adults.

Within the next two months, new federal rules for preschool, Head Start, and child care will go into effect. These rules include many new policies designed to remove barriers and better support young children experiencing homelessness. This convergence and alignment of federal policies represent a critical opportunity for state and local action to better serve our youngest children experiencing homelessness. Learn about these changes, and the new tools we’ve developed to help you make the most of them.

Last week the National College Access Network (NCAN) made its way to Detroit, MI, for its 2016 national Conference. Over 1,100 attendees from secondary education, higher education, community-based organizations and foundations came together to learn more about college access under the theme “Driving Postsecondary Attainment for All.” NAEHCY’s Director of Higher Education Initiatives was in attendance to learn more about the latest resources and supports to best help homeless students.

Today – Saturday, October 1, 2016 – all but one of the amendments to subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Act made by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) go into effect. We did not want to let this day slip by without a short note to mark the momentous occasion.

The Administration for Children and Families in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced final regulations to implement the Child Care and Development Fund program (CCDF). The new regulations contain several unprecedented provisions to facilitate access to child care for families experiencing homelessness. Read more about the new rules.

The revised edition of "The Most Frequently Asked Question" covers a wide spectrum of education issues concerning homeless children and youth, from child care and early education services to higher education policies. It includes questions and answers that clarify recent amendments made by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and Title I Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the U.S. Department of Education’s Non-Regulatory Guidance, Head Start Performance Standards, and the U.S. Department of Education’s financial aid policies.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced final regulations to update the Head Start Performance Standards. The final rule contains new policies on the prioritization of homeless children, as well as other procedures to facilitate the identification, enrollment, and stability of homeless children in Head Start. Learn more about these important new policies, and how they will help children and families experiencing homelessness.

There are many new resources to help schools and communities prepare for the implementation of the ESSA amendments: new federal guidance from the U.S. Department of Education, updated PowerPoint templates from NAEHCY, and much more. Find out what’s new and how you can use it.